


Request 1.5 (Reiner)

by Yoselin



Series: L&L Tumblr Prompts [7]
Category: Love & Legends (Visual Novel)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-04
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2019-03-27 04:14:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13872906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yoselin/pseuds/Yoselin
Summary: Originally posted to Tumblr.Continuation to request 1.





	Request 1.5 (Reiner)

It’s the loud, tinkling laughter that wakes Reiner up. The sound drifts from behind his closed door and rouses him from sleep. It is a beautiful melody that puts a smile on his face before he is even fully awake.   
Anticipating her arrival, Reiner props himself in bed. He has exactly two seconds to steady himself before his bedroom door is flung open and a blur of red and white comes through.   
A light force slams into him and he falls back in surprise. A bark of laughter leaves his lips before he wraps his arms around the tiny frame that is his 7 year old daughter.   
“Peace!”  
The word leaves his lips amid an affectionate chuckle and the little girl giggles. Gray eyes peer at him and shine with mirth.   
“Daddy,” she wraps her arms around his neck. Soft lips press to his cheek in an affectionate kiss and she laughs again. Reiner’s heart swells at the sound of pure childlike glee.  
Before he can say good morning, however, Ryland is at the door. The servant looks flushed and takes a second to catch his breath. When he finally does regain enough air to talk, he smiles at Reiner sheepishly and rubs at the back of his neck.   
“Apologies, milord, I told Peace not to surprise you today.”  
Although Ryland tries to sound off put, Reiner can tell he is amused. No one, as he knows well, can stay mad at Peace. The young troublemaker has an aura of utter charm and innocence that makes people forgive and forget her wrongdoings.   
“She does it every morning,” Reiner hums. He pulls at Peace’s bow affectionately and lifts her off of him. Depositing her on the bed, he rises and slips on his shirt discarded near a chair.   
Ryland leans against the doorframe and crosses his arms. He regards Peace for a second before smirking.   
“I’m getting in a good workout at least. Chasing her around the castle and keeping her from trouble keeps me fit,” he jokes.   
“You’re still slow,” Peace chirps. She feigns sticking her tongue out at Ryland.   
Reiner opens his mouth to scold her, but Ryland laughs before he gets a chance to. He doesn’t seem to mind Peace’s rudeness all that much.   
“Now what was so important today that you had to wake me up yourself? Yesterday it was to tell me that one of your teeth was loose, the day before it was to tell me that Queen Ishara liked the drawing you made her, and the day before that was that Solaire promised to teach you how to make cookies. What is it this time?” Reiner asks.   
Peace grins, a radiant smile that lights up the room, and hops off the bed. She races up to Reiner and clings to his knees. Gray eyes blink up at him with utter excitement and she squeals.   
“August said I could ride Wynnie!” She replies back.   
Reiner musses her hair and smiles. “You have your own pony, Peace. I bought you one last month.”  
“But Wynnie’s faster! Star’s legs aren’t big enough,” she voices back.   
“Like owner like pony,” Ryland quips. He moves his hand an inch above the floor and moves it from side to side greatly exaggerating her shortness. Peace huffs and Reiner chuckles.   
“Well, Peace, you should go meet August outside then. Don’t stand him up in his lessons,” Reiner reminds her.   
Peace laughs, obviously thrilled at the reminder that she will be allowed to ride a real horse, and rushes away from Reiner with a ‘bye daddy’. Ryland makes a face, scolds her for running, and chases after her.  
Watching the two disappear around a corner, Reiner grins. It has been 7 years since Peace was born and Ryland has had his hands full. Being the child’s primary caretaker asides from Reiner, he has been at her side every second of every day.   
And knowing Peace’s mischievous personality, perhaps he has earned himself a raise because of it.   
Shaking his head, Reiner chuckles and gets ready to go about his day. 

He makes it precisely an hour before Peace’s laughter can be overhead. By now, her lesson with August is done and she is back to causing mischief in the palace. Reiner rubs at his temples, exhausted from his paperwork, and follows the sound of childish glee to its source.   
He comes upon the hallway leading to the kitchen where he can hear Solaire shrieking and two sets of laughter. One is young, Peace, and the other is masculine, Iseul.   
Reiner finds Saerys lounging outside the kitchen door holding a slice of freshly made bread. The demon is smirking at something and listening to the commotion with avid interest.   
“What did she do this time?” Reiner muses. He takes his place next to Saerys and waits with crossed arms for the commotion to dissipate.   
Saerys chuckles, a rare sound, and nods at the kitchen door producing sparks and screams.   
“Iseul somehow managed to trick Peace into helping him sneak some cookies from Solaire. Unfortunately for them, Solaire returned from her other chores early and caught them in the act. This time, however, they made it through an entire tin meant for dinner tonight.”  
Reiner pinches the bridge of his nose. His daughter is trouble on her own, but when Iseul is involved...  
“Ryland didn’t stop them?”  
Saerys grins again. “I believe Iseul helped Peace shake off Ryland a long time ago. He’s still searching for her in the garden.”  
Reiner opens his mouth to say something but closes it once the kitchen door swings open. The first to leave is Peace, lips and cheek smudged with chocolate, and then Iseul with a levitating broom nipping at his heels.   
Reiner has a second to jump to action and grab Peace as she tries to skirt out of his reach. He scoops her in his arms and holds her up where she thrashes.   
“Daddy!” She resists him and her tiny fists smear chocolate on his shirt.   
Iseul skids to a halt as the levitating broom gives one final whack to his heels and Solaire appears with a disapproving look on her face.   
“Lord Reiner,” Iseul greets. He feigns innocence by hiding his hands behind his back.   
Reiner glances at Solaire and tries to hold off his smile. “Did these two give you trouble again?”   
He holds Peace up in front of him and dangles her lightly. She shrieks with laughter and tries in vain to free herself. After realizing her father won’t release her, she pouts and merely swings herself in his grasp for amusement.   
Solaire huffs and snatches the broom from the air.   
“Iseul is the instigator here! He likes to get Peace involved in his mischief.”  
“Me?! Peace said she wanted cookies but Ryland wouldn’t give her any. I merely let it slip that Solaire hid some cookie tins in the pantry. When Peace dove for it, I did the responsible thing and chased after her with the intent of scolding her,” Iseul defends.   
“Then why are your hands covered in chocolate?” Saerys aims the question from his place on the wall and smirks when Iseul tries to hide them again.   
As the elf mutters something about traitorous friends, Peace directs her gaze at Reiner.   
Her gray eyes become watery, lip juts out just slightly, and cheeks puff up. She becomes limp in his arms and looks entirely heartbroken. Reiner panics for a moment, believing she will break out in tears, until he realizes that her nose is twitching just slightly. A sign that she is about to lie.   
Understanding floods him and he bites back his smile. Peace is young yet she knows how to manipulate. Whenever she gets in trouble with Solaire or Ryland, she gives them the puppy eyes and feigns feeling guilty until they let her off the hook. Ryland has become more immune to this approach, as he spends nearly every waking moment with her and knows her tricks, yet Solaire and Reiner have a 50/50 chance of falling victim.   
Unfortunately for Peace, however, this is the other roll of the die for Reiner. He’s getting better at determining when his little troublemaker is faking.   
“I’m sorry, daddy, uncle Iseul tricked me!” Peace reaches for Reiner and wraps her arms around his neck. Her red curls brush is cheek and he hears her try to fake sniffling in his ear.   
Iseul splutters with shock and indignation, begins to swear that Peace is the one who started it, before Reiner cuts in.   
“How many tins did they eat?” He nods at Solaire and ignores Peace still trying to fake her heartbreak.   
“A tin and a half,” she crosses her arms.   
Reiner slowly deposits Peace on the ground. As he expected, there are no tears on her face. She might be good at feigning innocence but she hasn’t quite mastered the full art of crying on command yet.   
“Ryland is usually in charge of punishing you, but he’s occupied at the moment-“ Peace and Iseul snicker at the memory of shaking him off and Reiner presses on, “-so I’ll have to do it. As punishment, you will help Solaire remake the tins you ate.”  
Reiner draws his shoulders back, makes himself look like the totally strict and responsible father that he is, and stares down Peace. He expects her to resist, to argue back as she does with Ryland, but instead she grins. He blinks in confusion as the little girl gives out an excited squeal and dives for Solaire’s skirts. The fairy makes a disappointed face at Reiner and sighs.   
Reiner blinks at Saerys. “Did I do something wrong?”  
Saerys snorts. “Peace enjoys cooking with Solaire. I think you just rewarded her.”  
Reiner winces and pinches the bridge of his nose. He opens his mouth to change the punishment, but Peace is already tugging at Solaire. She excitedly tries to drag the fairy into the kitchen to begin her ‘punishment’.   
“This is why Ryland is in charge of discipline,” Reiner muses.   
Iseul shakes his hands off and grins. He moves to leave. “Well, now that, that is settled I will be in the riv-“  
He makes it exactly two steps before Saerys’ hand darts out and catches the back of his clothing. The demon makes a clicking sound with his tongue.   
“Lord Reiner perhaps I misinterpreted but I believe the punishment applied to both Iseul and Peace?” Saerys turns to Reiner.   
Reiner feels a smile come on to his face and he pushes his laughter down. “It did apply to them both. Iseul go help.”  
With that final decree, Reiner spins away. He leaves behind an indignant elf crying out about certain traitorous demons and cruel Lords. 

By the time the sun sets, Reiner is exhausted. He has finished up his work for the day and gone hours without seeing Peace or hearing from her. After asking Ryland where she is, he is directed at the gardens.   
Altea and August are in the gardens watching over Peace. The little girl is sitting on a small tree branch fiddling with something in her hands. He sees it is a tiny wooden doll about the size of her palm.   
“She’s getting better at climbing,” Reiner muses. He puts his hands on his waist and stares up at her branch.   
August makes a face in an attempt to hide his own smile. “I tried to tell her not to climb, but Altea is an enabler.”  
Altea giggles from her spot on a bench. She makes soft light appear on her hands and a small ring appears around Peace. The girl marvels at it and strokes her fingers around the magic before laughing.   
“She won’t fall with me around, so why not let her live a little? August and Ryland would like to put her in a bubble, but I want her to have fun.”  
“Isn’t she in a bubble made of your magic?” August teases back. Altea opens her mouth indignantly and falters without an argument.   
Reiner chuckles. He thanks his retainers about to launch into an argument and approaches the base of the tree.   
“Maybe I misnamed you,” he calls out, “I should have named you Monkey. You like climbing a lot.”  
Peace peers down from her space and grins. Her hands make grabbing motions at Reiner. “Daddy! Sit with me!”   
Reiner shakes his head and extends his own arms. “Come down now!”  
“Dad,” Peace groans theatrically.   
“Peace,” Reiner echoes in the same theatrical tone. His hands remain outstretched.   
Peace huffs, kicks her legs impatiently, then gives up. Sticking her tongue out, she lets herself fall from the branch.   
There’s a brief moment of panic in Reiner and he almost dives to catch her before Altea’s bubble takes effect and the magic gently lowers her down.   
She drops to his arms and Reiner lets out a breath he wasn’t aware he was holding. Peace seems unconcerned and merely presses a kiss to his cheek.   
“You scared me, Peace. I thought I told you not to let yourself fall from the branches. What if Altea hadn’t enchanted the branch? You could have been hurt,” Reiner scolds. He’s trembling just slightly as he lifts Peace up.   
Peace blinks up at him and smiles. “I wouldn’t fall, you’d catch me.”  
Reiner opens his mouth to continue his scolding then closes it. His heart melts at the words and he’s a goner. Ryland may be immune to Peace’s attempts to get out of trouble, but this is one of the other 50% for him.   
Pressing a light kiss to Peace’s nose, he nods. “I will protect you,” he swears.   
Peace giggles and shows him her doll. From the looks of the wood, it’s handmade. Someone must have helped her carve it.   
“Did you make that?” Reiner asks. He sets Peace down and taps the doll.   
Peace nods and puts it in Reiner’s hand.   
“I made it for mommy,” she replies.   
Reiner stops and freezes for half a second before coming back to his senses. His smile drops an octave and he hands the doll back to her. He should be used to it by now, used to Peace mentioning his late wife casually, but it’s always a painful surprise.   
Despite this, he runs his hands through Peace’s curls.   
“Are you going to take it to her?” His mouth is just a little dry when he asks this.   
Peace hums and nods. She puts her tiny hand in Reiner’s own. “Can we visit her?”  
Reiner takes a deep breath and puts another smile on his face. Peace enjoys visiting her mother every once in a while, usually the others take her, but today it’ll have to be Reiner.   
And perhaps it is fitting that it’s him this time. Peace should go with him from now on so that it will be less painful for them both. As she grows up and fully comprehends what happened to his late wife, Peace will need Reiner at her side. So going with her tonight is just a step forward.   
“Of course we can,” he replies back.   
Peace smiles. 

The graveyard is always a somber affair to Reiner. Visiting it brings him both peace and pain. Nestled next to his family’s graves, his wife’s grave greets him. The resting place is well cared for and there are numerous flowers decorating it. Between his retainers, himself, and Peace, his wife always has people visiting.   
Reiner places his hands on Peace’s shoulders and clears his throat.   
“Do you want to give mommy her gift?” He asks.   
Peace nods. Unlike before, her carefree attitude is gone. Her face is serious and devoted. It seems that the others have told her how important it is for her to be respectful when visiting her mother.   
Slowly approaching the grave, Peace kneels down. Her hands put the small doll next to the tombstone.   
“Hi, mommy, I made this for you. Uncle August helped but I did all the work,” Peace smiles.   
Reiner smiles too. He watches as his daughter begins to recount her day to her mother. There’s no hesitancy, no nervousness, as Peace speaks. She talks to her mother as if she were really present and listening. The sight warms his heart.   
He maintains his hands on Peace’s shoulders and smiles softly down at the grave.   
‘She visits you often doesn’t she?’ Reiner directs his thoughts at his wife. He isn’t sure if she can hear, but it gives him peace of mind anyway. ‘I’m glad she isn’t sad when she comes here. She knows you’re watching out for her.’  
Reiner smiles down at Peace who has paused in her story long enough to stare at a butterfly flying past. He chuckles and squeezes her shoulders affectionately.   
‘I’ll take care of her, dear, I’ll watch over her every day.’ Reiner promises.   
Peace finishes her recount and bends down lightly. She presses her lips to the cement of the nameplate and traces the name with her fingers. “I love you, mommy.”  
Reiner smiles softly, the sight almost enough to bring him to tears, and wraps an arm around Peace.   
“She loves you too, Peace.”   
Peace smiles at him and returns the embrace. Her hands tug at his jacket and he complies, bending down. Once his face is eye level, she kisses his cheek again.   
“Love you, daddy,” she grins.   
He laughs, scoops her up in his arms, and smiles. “I love you too.”  
With one last look at the grave, Reiner swings Peace around like a kite and begins to head back for the castle. Peace shrieks with laughter and tightens her grip on his arms. The sound brings another grin to his face and his heart swells with affection again.   
‘I will protect you, Peace, always and forever’, he swears.   
His oath goes unsaid, yet he is sure Peace knows it, if only for the affectionate giggle he gets in turn.


End file.
